Interview with Electric Sufi
By Mick Michaels
Cosmick View: Hello! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thanks for taking some time out of your day to speak with us. It's greatly appreciated.
CV:
What do you feel is the allure your music has over competing artists and bands in
your genre? What has them taking notice in your opinion?
Electric Sufi: I think the mixture of cultures here is quite unusual, it
includes influences from a 12th century Christian mystic Hildegarde
of Bingen, 13th Century Islamic poet Rume, and from Islamic Sufi and
Coptic Christian traditions, as well as electronica sounds. On top of that
environmental and climate issues are prominent in our lyrics. I think that all
makes for a really potent blend.
CV:
Do you think internet radio is a valuable resource as a modern mainstream
outlet for both upcoming and established artists? If so, why and if not, why
not?
Electric Sufi: I think Internet Radio is great, there’s so much music on
streaming services like Spotify, YouTube and TikTok, that it is great to have
someone like a radio station curate your listening, and suggest and play music
to you that otherwise you might not hear.
CV:
In your opinion, can an artist truly be independent given an industry that
relies heavily on big budgets and massive fan appreciation?
Electric Sufi: We are completely independent, so yes! It just means you
have to fight against those big budget major labels. The good news is that you
can do that through independent networks, and things like blogs and radio
stations. It’s better than the old days, when it cost so much to put out
records on CD or Vinyl or to get them into shops, that you couldn’t really
compete.
CV:
Tell us a little about your current project? What can listeners expect to
hear? What makes it stand out in your opinion?
Electric Sufi: I think it is the blend of the different musicians’
styles which is particularly amazing. Sarah is a singer with a long Sufi
heritage, her father was a Sufi singer, and she learned a lot from him. There
are very few female Sufi singers in the UK, so she is quite unusual. And Mina’s
virtuosity is incredible, he used to be a principal soloist in the Egyptian
national opera and he plays beautifully. And it’s capped off by the
accessibility that the electronic sounds and beats give the music. These three
approaches come together, and we took a lot of time to make sure it was a
genuine syncretic fusion, not just slamming things together.
CV:
Music has a way of expressing things that words sometimes seem to fail at. How
has music helped you better express yourself?
Electric Sufi: Yes, I’m autistic, so sometimes I struggle to understand
or even recognize emotions, so music has really helped me to understand the
complex feelings we all have, and learn how to cope with the most powerful
emotional experiences. It’s a place I can channel my emotions where everyone
has a good chance of understanding, whether you are neuro-typical or neuro-diverse,
religious or secular, or from a particular cultural background. It’s not a
universal language, but it provides somewhere you can connect with other people
in a really deep way.
CV:
What do you feel your music is saying to the world? And do you feel that
message is being heard?
Electric Sufi: Our music says if you are a Muslim, Christian, Humanist,
Atheist, Somethingist, Wiccan, whatever, the things we have in common are more
important than our differences. One of those things is music; another is the
need to address our climate emergency. Our planet needs our help, and our music
is a series of love songs to planet Earth. I think everyone understands that
this is the most important issue there is right now.
CV:
What do you believe your greatest asset is as an artist? How have you seen that
asset benefit yourself and others?
Electric Sufi: My experience is my greatest asset, I’ve worked for
decades on music, and it’s coming off on this album. A lot of music artists
seem to make their best work when they are young, 18 or 21, whereas if you are
a painter or film maker, you expect your work to get better as you get older.
This album is the best thing I’ve ever done, and it’s the years of hard work
that have made it possible.
CV:
What more can fans expect to see coming from you in the near future?
Electric Sufi: Our album Breathe in Love is coming out in July, and
there’s a series of singles out before that, including an Urdu song that’s like
a Ghazal, a cover of a Ghanian song in Mandinka, originally by the great
African band Ifang Bondi, and finally a song based on lyrics in Farsi from an
ancient Rumi poem. Our album is out in July, and it’s great!
CV:
Thanks again for taking the time to share with our readers. We wish you all the
best and continued success.
Check out Electric Sufi at:
Spotify Link: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5qP8SyE8Ppll5x6MBDMQWz?si=mPjCSlTAT9WmLqNiYNIs_A&nd=1
Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuulhHdbp7uHBB2AsiSELdg
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/ElectricSufiUK
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/electricsufiuk/?hl=en
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